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Reformed theology in Scandinavia: Part 1

phil | 8 March, 2010 9:00 pm

Here are some reflections I have on reformed theology or grace theology that is entering into Scandinavia. As far as I can see it there are three streams that I would like to reflect on. We have reformed charismatic movements, we have the so-called grace-preaching and then I can see another stream of reformed theology that I will discuss now.

Putting the Amazing back into Grace I start with a stream of reformed theology that I perceive is gaining some ground in Scandinavia. It’s represented especially by an American pastor named Paul Washer. From what I’ve seen they seem to put a lot of emphasis on repentance from sin and how we are all sinners that need to repent. Put Amazing back into grace seem to be a phrase commonly used by people who would identify with this preaching, and the obvious meaning of that phrase is that by realising how our sin has separated us from God, and by grieving our sin and then to look at the cross and realise that our sin is atoned for by the death of Jesus, make us realise how amazing God’s grace is.

“What is man that God be mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4) and “Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes; how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!” (Job 25:5-6) would be verses from the Scripture that would be lifted forward in order to show man’s inadequacy. Constantly grieving our own sin makes God’s grace even more amazing in our eyes. There also seem to be a strong emphasis on holiness and rejecting sin, even to the point where fear of whether we are saved or not is allowed to gain ground when we do sin.

My first reflection on what I’ve seen and heard from this stream so far would be that theologically I agree with a lot of things; like being amazed about who we really are and what we deserve and then realise the amazing grace God has given us. I sometimes meditate on the curses that are given in for example Deuteronomy for those who do not obey all of God’s commandments and it makes me realise that I actually don’t deserve the grace He has given me. That is healthy exercise!

However, my biggest problem with preachers inspired by Paul Washer is when I listen to them speaking it seems the grace of God isn’t that amazing anymore; it doesn’t even seem to be there. It’s often very hard and harsh messages that build up condemnation in the people listening. There doesn’t seem to be any “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” but rather a constant lifting up of what’s behind.

Set free to rejoice!
The way I see it we should rather have our strength in the joy of the Lord and in rejoicing in who we now are in Christ through his grace, rather than constantly looking back to who we once were in sin. It does have a value in order to show us our need for grace, but the strength to then live for Christ does not come from there.

Jesus did not seem to have his biggest problem with the sinners, the prostitutes or the believers that fell, like Peter for example, but rather with the religious; those who didn’t “sin” and therefore were unable to put their trust in another man’s righteousness.

Tags: grace,John Piper,Mark Driscoll,Paul Washer,reformed theology,sin
Categories: Dan Haaland
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Christians and Old Testament law

phil | 13 January, 2010 6:08 pm

Today I would like to expand a bit on how a Christian should relate to the Old Testament law. In my last blogpost on the issue I argued that the purpose with the law is to show us the reality that we are sinners in God’s sight and to reveal for us in that way our need for grace, but how should you actually relate to it as a Christian who has put your trust in Christ and who now is justified or made righteous?

What if I could marry Jesus instead? In the seventh chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, Paul presents a metaphor to help us understand this. He says that the law is like our husband given to us in marriage.

Now the law is obviously very good, and in itself it’s perfect, without any flaw. That might sound like the perfect husband if it weren’t for the fact that he is constantly demanding the same perfection from you. And he’s not a good helper, he is just expecting perfection without giving any help and worse he is impotent, not able to help you bear fruit, so the law constantly makes you feel condemned. One day you see Jesus and you see that he is equally perfect, but the difference is that he is helping people and lifting them up rather than condemning them. You think to yourself, what if I could marry Jesus instead?

The only problem is that the covenant of marriage is only broken when one party dies, and the law will never die. So there you are with this condemning husband who will never die and you’re stuck.

But, says Paul, what has actually happened through your faith in Christ is that you have died, so you are now released from your bondage to the law and from its authority over you. And the great thing is that God has not only left you there in a spiritual single life, but he has then raised you to a new life where you have been united with Christ. There you now live with Christ as your husband, as it were, and bear fruit for God and serve him in the new way of the spirit.

Released!
Terry Virgo gives us this excellent illustration, to help us understand this, of a man who has been in the military service. One day his serving time has come to an end and he collects his civilian clothes and gives his military uniform and equipment back. Then as he walks across the courtyard area he hears an officer whose voice he recognises well: “Attention”. At first his back is straightened out of sheer routine until suddenly he realises, I’m not in the army anymore, I’m a civilian! The officer can shout as much as he wants to but it doesn’t carry any authority over me.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Rom 8:1-2

As a Christian, I am in the same position as the former soldier. There simply is no condemnation on me any more. The law doesn’t carry any authority to condemn me anymore because there is no condemnation on those who are in Christ. It simply doesn’t exist any longer because we are released from the law and we now live in the grace of God. And when the condemnation comes and the oughts and the musts and the do’s and the dont’s, we are so easily prone to straighten our back and say, allright this time I will do better, this time I will try harder, this time I will please you and we try to please God by working harder at all those things that we are released from and we never really get to experience his acceptance and favour cause we are constantly living under the condemnation that we could do better.

Let me suggest to you that we don’t please Jesus, our new husband, by cheating on him with our former husband. We honour Jesus by living in the grace he has given us, loving him and enjoying his presence.

Categories: Dan Haaland
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God’s opinions?

phil | 23 November, 2009 9:17 pm

So often we try to define God’s opinions depending on what our current culture says to us. Our view of who God is easily becomes political correct. My suggestion though, is that God must be defined by his character in eternity, whether we like it or not in our current culture.

God is love. This is neither unfamiliar or uncomfortable. We know this because God has revealed this character to us through the Bible and first and foremost through Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of John states: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

The law did reveal something of God’s character as well. Something of his standard, his holiness. Now the ultimate purpose of the law was not for us to try to live by it, but for us to realise that we can’t live by it. The law is our teacher that teaches us our need for grace. This is the point Paul is making in his letter to the Galatian church.

Grace and truth came through Jesus.
In Jesus, in his grace, and in the truth he reveals we see God. In the grace that has been given to us, that even if we have not lived according to God’s standard, even if each and every one of us are sinners, we have been given grace through Jesus. On the cross he has died with my sin and through faith in him I am now free from the condemnation of law, death and sin.

Jesus also came with truth. On the cross Jesus not only put an end to condemnation on every believer, he also manifested that there is a righteous condemnation on sin that needs to be dealt with. God does not change his opinion on sin according to current waves of popular culture, he deals with sin on the cross. Jesus came both to reveal the eternal grace and love of God’s character as well as His eternal holiness and truth.

Let me use an example that is not very controversial. Paedophilia is a sin in God’s eyes. Now that is not very difficult for me to grasp since it fits very well into my culture and worldview. My point is that it has always been a sin in God’s eyes. In ancient Greece it was considered an ideal for an older man to have a sexual relationship with a young boy [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pederasty] and in their culture this would probably be considered normal. My point is that God did not suddenly change his position in 1650 BC and he doesn’t suddenly change his position 2009 AD.

God is God, and he doesn’t deal with sin by sweeping it under the carpet and forgetting it. He condemns it on the cross of Jesus and then recreates us with a cleansed conscience and a new life in Jesus Christ.

Grace and Truth. We need to acknowledge both aspects of God’s character to see God revealed to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Categories: Dan Haaland
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